How To Find The Most Suitable Portable Fish Finder-Buyer Guide’s (2018)

If you have ever gone fishing on a bad day, then you will understand that finding fish is not a walk in the park. Sometimes you can spend your fishing session tirelessly trying to locate fish on the water only to be very disappointed. Considering the fact that there are a variety of fish finder units available in the market, even the most experienced fish finders will find it difficult to specify and identify the best fish finder unit.

In this article, we picked the best fish finders and expounded on them.

Factors To Consider When Deciding On The Most Suitable Portable Fish Finder

We all agree that it is tough to choose the most appropriate fish finder by just physically looking at them. You must have some aspects to look for to guide you in selecting a particular fish finder over others. Listed below are some of the factors that one should consider before deciding to buy a particular fish finder:

Features​

The features of the fish finder should suit your specifications as an angler such that the fish finder will perform its function just as you expected it to.

Ease of use

You should purchase a portable fish finder which is easy to use and also one that you are comfortable when using to avoid wasting too much time learning how to use it.

Price

As an angler, you should seek to purchase a portable fish finder that that you can afford. Also, if you have enough cash you can purchase one that is of a higher price instead of getting a cheaper one that will not fulfill the purpose you intended it to.

Display

The portable fish finder should have a clear screen which displays details such as the depth of the fish underneath the water, the size of the fish and the location of the fish.

Portability

The fish finder you get should be portable enough such that it does not occupy too much space and that it is not heavy, thus making it convenient to be carried around during the fishing sprees.

Consider The Device You Are Going To Use While Fishing

A rented boat

With a rented boat, the most appropriate fish finder is one that you do not need to install permanently.

Kayaks

A kayak is a small device and so all the equipment needed for fishing will already be weighing it down. A portable, compact and lighter fish finder will save you the worry of having more space occupied.

Fishing in a Kayak

Small boats

A small boat may not have enough space for mounting a fish finder since the fishing equipment, the anglers and the engine already occupy too much space and also weigh the boat down. Putting all these into consideration, a light and portable fish finder is ideal.

A significant percentage of our lives revolve around the use of Android phones for purposes such as research and entertainment. How about finding a fish finder which you can connect to your Android device, iPhone or iPad?

I know this is appealing to all anglers. The deep, smart fish finder can provide fish location, water temperature or depth directly to your Android device through Bluetooth. It can be used to depths of up to 45 meters. It has an audible alarm which will notify you of details such as the location of the fish, the depth where the fish are and the size of the fish. These features will help you a great deal since you will come up with the best way to tackle the fish.

To add to the fish finding purpose, the application has other features such as weather forecasting, map and fishing log.

Pros

Works while connected to an Android device or an iPhone via Bluetooth.

Easily floats.

Has a battery which lasts up to four hours.

Has a fishing log with daily activities.

Can be used for ice fishing since it has an ice flasher.

Is of lightweight and compact design.

Does not need to be installed, it’s a grab and ready to go device.

A dual beam of 90-290 kHz and 15-55 degrees which gives a broad area coverage.

This fish finder can also be connected to your Android device via Bluetooth technology. It gives information on the location of fish, depth and and temperature. If your phone has GPS, it’s an added advantage since it will also provide GPS data.

It connects to a device which is within a range of 50 meters. Its app for iOS and Android is free and needs a regular update.

This fish finder is one of the best and cheapest fish finders in the market. It may be appealing to most anglers due to its size and cost. It can be used at any time of the day, including dawn, dusk and night since it features some backlighting mechanism.

This portable fish finder is the newest member of the STRIKER fish finder series which has been known to be very successful. The Garmin Striker 4 Bbuilt- in GPS Fish Finder uses the ClearVu technology. This fish finder has been designed to allow anglers to mark their favourite fishing spots and navigate back to the same spot the next time they will be fishing. It is available in display sizes of 3.5 inches, 5 inches and 7 inches.

Pros

It can find fish, mark the hotspot and navigate you back to the same spot next time when fishing

It has a very highly sensitive in-built GPS system

Offers a convenient keypad operation

Upgrading to the high performance CHIRP with a GT8 or GT15 is possible.

It has a 256 colour screen which is suitable for reading the fish location and a colour display which makes it attractive due to its down imaging. It has a 3.5-inch colour display and a resolution of 240*320.

Take this cheap and reliable device, which has a battery life of 30 hours and an ultra-wide sonar beam which can read to a range of 1.5 to 99.9 feet, to help you get instant depths, fish, contours and weed reading. It is easy to use and read.

The fish finder has a resolution of 160*132 pixels and a display of 2.3 inches which is backlit and not coloured. It comes with mounting tabs to mount on the halls of the fishing boats easily. It is portable enough to fit in your palm or pocket.

Pros

Very portable

Easy to use

Cheap

Has a longer life battery than other fish finders of about 30 hours.

Cons

It is not reliable for ice fishing since it does not show readings well

According to my review, this is the best portable fish finder. It comes with advanced features to enhance your fishing activities by making them productive. Its price is decent and affordable.

Fish Hunter can be used for several types of fishing such as boat and ice fishing and can be used at all places. Using an app, Fish Hunter can be connected to both Android and iOS devices. Via Bluetooth, it casts to a range of up to 80 feet, and the depth range and catfishing range are 100 and 60 feet respectively.

The Fish Hunter app is useful when keeping information such as catches, fish details and photos. It is also possible to measure the bottom contour and have raw sonar data on the display of your smartphone.

Pros

Temperature check avaible

Can be used for several types of fishing but is best for Kayak fishing

Its battery has a life of approximately 8 hours

The device has a rubber coating

Has a portable charging station

GPS tracking, mapping, and navigation are avaiable

The application has a fishing log

Military grade sonar

Free Android and iOs application

Can store information such as fish weight and depth and share it from the app

You can keep detailed information on your catches, photos, type of fish, weight and length and bait used right inside our app; Now, who would dare say you did not catch that big one

With FishHunter in your tackle box you gain access to military grade sonar technology, including GPS tracking, mapping and navigation to your best fishing spots. By tracking your spots you'll never have to remember again

It can be used when fishing at all places and can also be used for both boat and ice fishing. Through Bluetooth the fish finder casts up to a range of at most 80 feet and the depths of the catfish beneath the waters are 100 feet and a range of approximately 60 feet.

It provides raw sonar data on the screen of your smart phone, making it easy for you to read the details. It has only one disadvantage which is that it is not appropriate for use in ice fishing since it does not produce the best results.

Considering the pros and cons listed for each fish finder, you can comfortably select the fish finder that suits you. Again, don’t go for the cheapest fish finder if you have the cash. Cheap could turn out to be expensive, especially when your fishing activities are rampant. I hope that after reading this, you will get the best fish finder to start finding your favorites fishes, for me is tilapia fish.

Do you believe there is another better fish finder that deserved to be on this list and didn’t make it? Please let us know on the comments section below so that next time it must be included on the list.Let me know your views by leaving a comment on the article.

Please share it with others who are interested in learning about fish finders and getting the best fish finder.

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Louella Trump

Hi there, I’m Louella Trump, an adventurous young lady who loves exploring our beautiful nature by traveling and fishing. I write so as to share my passion and experiences with fellow readers who enjoy fishing and traveling as one of their recreational activities. My primary objective in sharing my experiences while traveling and fishing is to basically inspire any like-minded person out there to stop at nothing and leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they explore their passion as much as they can.

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